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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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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: patient · race · toast · degree · foot · rock · bank · spell

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — a short time
  7. degree — from a university
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — bread
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. race — humankind
  20. degree — an amount
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — letters

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