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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — steady
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fall — the season
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — a group
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — for golf
  23. degree — temperature
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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