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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: mug · cabinet · rest · pit · squash · hand · bank · degree

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a hole
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a cup
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. degree — an amount

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