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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pit — a hole
  4. clip — for paper
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — to cut
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. clip — a video
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. suit — in cards
  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