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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 120 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: suit · bat · safe · tube · march · degree · bank · wake

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — the underground
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bat — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. march — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tube — a container
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. march — the month
  24. degree — temperature

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