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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: bank · row · degree · band · pop · rash · game · safe

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. game — a match
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pop — to visit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — wild animals
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a music group
  23. pop — music
  24. row — a line

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