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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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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: can · degree · rock · chest · fall · fan · pound · racket

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — a box
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rock — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — of your body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — a stone
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rock — to move gently

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