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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — the season
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spring — a coil
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — all right
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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