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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
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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: present · saw · game · bank · current · band · degree · rest

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — there
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — from a university
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. band — a music group
  20. present — a gift
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — temperature
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. current — of water

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