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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: bank · degree · ruler · mine · deal · firm · calf · spell

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mine — for digging
  14. firm — steady
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spell — magic
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — letters

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