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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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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — a permit
  5. charge — in control
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a music group
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — in a road

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