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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: degree · pop · temple · bank · pitcher · mouse · content · chest

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chest — a box
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. degree — an amount
  16. chest — of your body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. content — the amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. degree — temperature

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