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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: deal · degree · bank · bear · firm · roll · racket · capital

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — an amount
  4. capital — a city
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. degree — temperature
  8. roll — a cake
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — a company
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. capital — money
  14. roll — a list
  15. firm — decided
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. firm — steady
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — the animal

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