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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. deal — to handle
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. degree — from a university
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — child
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com