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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 116 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: bank · fall · spell · pound · net · degree · nail · cabinet

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. pound — a weight
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. degree — an amount
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — after costs
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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