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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: firm · temple · capital · mouse · deal · degree · bass · lash

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. firm — steady
  11. capital — a city
  12. bass — the fish
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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