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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
468
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 · bank · straw · date · ball · fan · wound · pass

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — an injury
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wound — an injury

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