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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: bass · degree · bear · bound · jam · roll · bank · squash

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bear — the animal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. roll — a cake
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bound — certain
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bear — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. roll — a list
  23. bound — tied together
  24. degree — an amount

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