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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.

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
YesNo
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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: cold · degree · bass · temple · craft · game · object · charge

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — to protest
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. game — a match
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. degree — from a university
  22. object — an aim
  23. charge — a price
  24. cold — an illness

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