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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. degree — an amount
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to sink
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bank — for money
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — finally
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. last — final
  24. bass — the instrument

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