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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: stick · bass · bear · band · scale · degree · prune · bank

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. degree — from a university
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — temperature
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — the fruit

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