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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. band — a ring
  5. degree — from a university
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — a leader
  8. band — a music group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chair — a professorship

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