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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: chair · club · ball · bank · date · degree · can · net

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — a group
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chair — a leader
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — for dancing

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