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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — to be able to
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. swing — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. degree — from a university
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. date — the fruit

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