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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: pitcher · wake · jam · degree · mark · temple · march · calf

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. march — the month
  15. degree — from a university
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. degree — temperature
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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