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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · temple · mouse · trunk · degree · mine · arm · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. net — for catching
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — after costs
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. board — to get on
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. degree — an amount

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