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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: bear · fork · face · temple · degree · game · net · bank

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — of a river
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. face — to confront
  18. degree — temperature
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — for catching
  24. face — part of the head

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