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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · bay · firm · mate · degree · bank

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. firm — decided
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. bank — for money
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pound — a weight
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mate — to breed

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