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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — in music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — to bear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ground — a position
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bank — of a river
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — in golf
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bank — for money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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