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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: leaves · rest · fine · cue · degree · bank · pound · band

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. degree — from a university
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — all right
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rest — a break
  21. band — a ring
  22. degree — an amount
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — to hit hard

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