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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bank — of a river
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — of water
  6. band — a ring
  7. degree — an amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — temperature
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. degree — from a university
  18. band — a music group
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. band — a rubber band

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