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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: degree · bank · roll · pop · kick · chair · cabinet · pound

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — a list
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chair — a leader
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. kick — in football
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. roll — a cake

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