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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 · staff · clip · degree · mug · fine · bank · present

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — from a university
  5. present — the time now
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — high quality
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bank — for money
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — all right
  15. mug — to rob
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rock — music
  22. present — there
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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