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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — for money
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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