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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: bat · degree · firm · rush · club · mark · hide · bank

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — a group
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — a company
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bat — the animal
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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