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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: spring · nail · club · mouse · degree · mate · track · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — a group
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spring — a coil
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a path
  15. mate — a friend
  16. club — for dancing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — a song

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