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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 120 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.

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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: mate · can · season · temple · leaves · club · degree · spring

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. degree — temperature
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. season — in sport
  9. club — a group
  10. season — of the year
  11. spring — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. can — to be able to
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — an amount
  23. club — for golf
  24. mate — to breed

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