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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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Word bank
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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: bore · game · degree · bank · temple · stick · club · prune

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — to drill
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — a group
  8. bore — to tire
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. club — for dancing
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. game — a match
  18. degree — from a university
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — for golf

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