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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — shares
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bore — to drill
  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