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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: date · bank · nail · tube · current · degree · foot · bound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — tied together
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bank — of a river
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. current — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. current — electric
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — part of the body

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