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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · fall · stick · ball · hide · can · rock · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — the season

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