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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: bank · date · pit · pound · fall · pop · mine · degree

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pop — to visit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — from a university
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — the season
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mine — for digging

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