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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
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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: fall · fine · jam · firm · court · bear · degree · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. firm — steady
  4. court — of law
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. fall — the season
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fine — high quality
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bear — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. firm — a company
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — decided
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. degree — an amount
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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