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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.

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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. 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. bank — for money
  2. current — electric
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bat — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. 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