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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: row · chip · bay · mark · degree · kick · temple · spell

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mark — a trace
  4. degree — an amount
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chip — for betting
  8. kick — in football
  9. degree — temperature
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — to eat
  17. row — a line
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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