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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: suit · stick · degree · bank · date · club · face · bark

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. club — a group
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. club — for golf
  9. face — to confront
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. degree — from a university
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bank — for money

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