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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: pound · stick · bank · stand · drill · tube · rest · degree

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — army training
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — to bear
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — on your feet

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