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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — a thing
  13. mug — a cup
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mug — a face
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bank — of a river
  20. shower — rain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — an aim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — to protest

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