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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: temple · degree · cell · squash · ground · mug · bat · fan

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — a face
  10. ground — a position
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — from a university
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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