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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 · row · cap · rock · bank · fine · band · march

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. band — a ring
  12. rock — music
  13. march — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. degree — temperature
  16. row — to paddle
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — a hat
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cap — of ice
  23. band — a music group
  24. bank — of a river

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