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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — for sport
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — for spectators

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