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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 116 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: degree · nail · bowl · ruler · leaves · ground · fall · net

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — from a university
  10. net — after costs
  11. ground — a position
  12. degree — temperature
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fall — the season
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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