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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: degree · squash · fall · bowl · pitcher · arm · net · staff

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. net — in sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. degree — from a university
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — temperature
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — after costs
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. degree — an amount
  24. squash — the vegetable

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