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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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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: cue · track · bank · bulb · bowl · temple · mate · degree

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a friend
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — for pool

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