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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 · temple · file · press · march · pit · mate · plane

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — from a university
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pit — in a race

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