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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. firm — decided
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — a company
  9. current — happening now
  10. band — a ring
  11. lie — to recline
  12. degree — an amount
  13. firm — steady
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — of water
  16. bank — of a river
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a word
  21. current — electric
  22. root — the cause
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a plant

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