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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: foot · bank · chip · content · straw · drill · perch · degree

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. chip — for betting
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. degree — an amount
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bank — of a river
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. degree — temperature
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. drill — army training
  20. content — happy
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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