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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: rock · bank · row · hand · cap · mug · degree · tube

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mug — a face
  4. hand — help
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hand — in cards
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tube — a container
  16. bank — of a river
  17. row — a line
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — a stone

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