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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
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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 · field · can · temple · key · straw · wax · bowl

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — in music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — a subject
  14. degree — temperature
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — from a university
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — a football final

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