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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. drill — the tool
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. degree — temperature
  5. drill — a practice
  6. capital — a city
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — to come from
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — army training
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pit — a hole
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pound — for dogs

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