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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 · degree · jam · prune · stand · rush · bear · staff

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bank — of a river
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — a thrill

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