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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · bowl · dip · club · degree · pound · can · pitcher

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. club — a group
  10. pound — a weight
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. can — a tin
  14. club — for dancing
  15. can — a tin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to dunk

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