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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: firm · kid · sharp · degree · capital · bank · plane · roll

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kid — child
  4. degree — temperature
  5. capital — a city
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bank — of a river
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. capital — money
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. firm — a company
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. firm — steady
  16. degree — from a university
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. firm — decided
  24. roll — on a roll

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