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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — a face
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. degree — temperature
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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