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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: land · degree · fall · firm · craft · pound · rush · ball

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — boats
  7. land — to come down
  8. fall — to drop
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fall — the season
  11. land — a country
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — decided
  20. ball — a dance
  21. land — ground
  22. firm — a company
  23. degree — temperature
  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