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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: degree · hand · rash · roll · temple · pitcher · firm · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — a series
  4. firm — steady
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. degree — an amount
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hand — help
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — from a university
  19. firm — decided
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cap — a lid
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. roll — a list
  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