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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: bank · squash · suit · bay · degree · bat · prune · present

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. degree — an amount
  4. present — the time now
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. present — a gift
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. present — there
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. suit — to fit

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