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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — to tease
  12. band — a music group
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — child
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — letters

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