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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: degree · squash · temple · fine · toast · hand · jam · mark

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — bread
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hand — help
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. hand — in cards
  16. squash — the sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fine — high quality
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. degree — temperature

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