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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: ruler · degree · bowl · object · fall · date

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. object — to protest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fall — the season
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring

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