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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: fork · march · bank · fan · dip · craft · kick · degree

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bank — of a river
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — a garden tool

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