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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: toast · pitcher · bat · lie · mark · temple · deal · degree

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bat — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mark — a trace
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mark — a grade
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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