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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. roll — a list
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. march — music
  17. roll — a cake
  18. degree — from a university
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. degree — an amount
  23. march — the month
  24. date — on the calendar

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