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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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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: can · snap · degree · club · perch · fall · object · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. object — a thing
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — from a university
  8. club — for golf
  9. degree — an amount
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — a tin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. perch — the fish
  15. club — a group
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — for dancing
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fall — the season
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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