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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · degree · net · fork · pitcher · cabinet · temple · bass

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mate — a friend
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. degree — temperature
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mate — a partner
  20. net — in sport
  21. bass — low music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the fish
  24. degree — an amount

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