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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ground — the earth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bank — of a river
  14. degree — temperature
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. degree — an amount
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — from a university

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