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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: board · temple · rest · degree · pass · pitcher · racket · row

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. degree — temperature
  10. row — a line
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pass — a permit
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — a break
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — a flat piece

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