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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — temperature
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — an amount
  9. march — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — for money
  18. cue — a signal

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