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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: land · degree · dip · cap · bound · bank · bay · squash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — certain
  16. squash — to crush
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. degree — temperature
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a horse colour

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