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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 120 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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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 · lash · content · foot · deal · degree · pitch · mouse

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitch — completely
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. degree — temperature
  19. content — happy
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — from a university

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