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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
468
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: ball · key · kick · field · net · degree · bulb · temple

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ball — a dance
  5. degree — temperature
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — in football
  12. net — for catching
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ball — a great time
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. field — for sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — with a leg

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