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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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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: trunk · degree · fall · board · perch · cap · bank · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. perch — the fish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bank — of a river
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — of ice
  20. degree — from a university
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — for a bird
  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