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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: date · press · stand · temple · mate · key · degree · land

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — from a university
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. key — for a lock
  10. land — to come down
  11. date — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — the most important part
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. press — a publisher
  19. key — in music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. press — to push
  22. degree — an amount
  23. press — newspapers
  24. date — on the calendar

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