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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. bank — for money
  2. swing — in golf
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. vault — a safe
  7. degree — an amount
  8. season — in sport
  9. degree — from a university
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rest — a break
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. season — to add flavour
  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