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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. degree — temperature
  4. firm — steady
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — clever
  7. degree — from a university
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stand — to bear
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — for spectators

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