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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: shower · degree · staff · bank · pop · current · bay · club

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pop — to visit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — from a university
  8. shower — rain
  9. pop — music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. staff — employees
  12. pop — soda
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — temperature
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. bank — of a river
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — a stick
  22. degree — an amount
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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