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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: degree · drill · bank · fine · game · pop · coach · leaves

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pop — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fine — all right
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pop — soda
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — a match
  11. degree — from a university
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bank — for money

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