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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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · mouse · cue · bowl · season · degree · temple · pitcher

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. degree — temperature
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — there
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mouse — for a computer

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