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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: clip · suit · rest · field · degree · fine · jam · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — high quality
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — a break
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — to fit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — a subject
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. field — farmland
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — of a river
  24. degree — temperature

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