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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: pop · object · dip · pitcher · degree · season · nail · bank

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — music
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pop — soda
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — to visit
  8. object — to protest
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — from a university
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — in sport
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — a sauce

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