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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: cue · bore · track · bank · degree · firm · craft · bowl

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. track — a path
  4. firm — steady
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bore — to tire
  7. degree — an amount
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a signal
  15. track — a song
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — temperature
  18. craft — boats
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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