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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: ground · fork · fan · pass · key · degree · bank · bay

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — a position
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — crushed
  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