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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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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: chest · bowl · degree · date · mouse · temple · foot · bear

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a football final

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