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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: pit · degree · patient · temple · toast · fork

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. degree — temperature
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — a hole
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. toast — bread
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university

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