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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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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: fall · snap · foot · squash · degree · net · bulb · pound

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — from a university
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. degree — temperature
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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