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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · content · saw · degree · land · mark · sharp · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. land — to come down
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — a country
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. land — ground
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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