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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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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: toast · bank · stick · wind · degree · bear · pop · rule

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rule — government
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rule — a law
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pop — soda
  16. toast — bread
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pop — music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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