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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · mouse · degree · stock · temple · cell · pit · date

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — goods
  6. bass — low music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stock — shares
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cell — a phone
  24. date — on the calendar

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