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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — a position
  6. degree — temperature
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — the earth
  12. board — to get on
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. degree — an amount
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a committee
  24. march — the month

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