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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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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 · kid · racket · fork · mate · pound · mug · bank

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mug — a face
  24. kid — to tease

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