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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: degree · toast · bank · bear · present · calf

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. toast — bread
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. degree — from a university
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — there
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bank — of a river

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