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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bank — for money
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. object — an aim
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. date — the fruit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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