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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: roll · bowl · club · rock · degree · fall · cap · mug

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. club — for golf
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mug — a face
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — temperature
  7. roll — a list
  8. cap — a hat
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — a cup
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fall — the season
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — to drop
  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