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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: chair · hand · rest · bank · degree · present · bay · racket

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. present — there
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — help
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rest — a break

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