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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: rush · bank · temple · net · mouse · degree · pit · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  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