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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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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: rock · mate · swing · degree · firm · bank · race · mine

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mine — for digging
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — for money
  12. degree — temperature
  13. race — a contest
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — decided
  19. swing — music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. degree — from a university

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