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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bound — certain
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. firm — steady
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chip — for betting
  23. firm — decided
  24. bulb — for light

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