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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 · nail · squash · land · bank · pass · mate · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — to come down
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. land — a country
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — ground
  10. squash — the sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. degree — temperature
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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