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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: degree · craft · branch · cell · ball · temple · band · pitcher

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — in biology
  3. craft — a skill
  4. degree — an amount
  5. craft — boats
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — a phone
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ball — a great time
  21. degree — from a university
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a music group

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