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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: temple · court · object · deal · cell · hand · bore · degree

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. court — for sport
  5. object — a thing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bore — to tire
  8. degree — from a university
  9. court — of a king
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cell — in biology
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — a phone
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — to protest
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hand — help

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