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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · rock · suit · degree · pitcher · fork · craft · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — clothes
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. suit — to fit
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — certain
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. temple — side of the head

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