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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: date · pitcher · season · fall · temple · staff · key · degree

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. season — in sport
  3. degree — an amount
  4. staff — employees
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — of the year
  19. date — the fruit
  20. key — in music
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — from a university

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