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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: degree · object · spring · bay · march · squash · mark · temple

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — a coil
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — a thing
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spring — of water
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. march — the month
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. march — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — the season
  21. march — the month
  22. object — an aim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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