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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · row · mug · firm · mark · mine · degree · club

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. degree — temperature
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — a company
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — a cup
  12. club — for golf
  13. degree — an amount
  14. club — a group
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mug — to rob
  21. degree — from a university
  22. firm — decided
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for dancing

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