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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: land · mug · foot · bank · fall · degree · coach · pound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. degree — temperature
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — a face
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fall — to drop

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