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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — a grade
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fine — all right
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bank — of a river
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. squash — the sport
  24. degree — an amount

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