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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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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: degree · date · bank · mug · pass · row · game · wax

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a line
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — to rob
  8. row — to paddle
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a face
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bank — of a river
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. game — a match
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bank — for money

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