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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — soda
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fall — the season
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pound — for dogs

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