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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: temple · clip · fine · roll · track · degree · can · cue

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — from a university
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. degree — temperature
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a path
  12. roll — a list
  13. fine — high quality
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — all right
  16. cue — a signal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. degree — an amount
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — for pool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. track — a song

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