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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.

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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: stem · dip · straw · bowl · can · coach · pound · degree

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — from a university
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pound — a weight
  24. straw — a straw man

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