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

Word bank: arm · plane · temple · pound · degree · jam · bat · cabinet

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — a tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. degree — temperature
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — a weight

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