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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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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: saw · roll · bay · degree · stick · club · bowl · wake

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. club — for golf
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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