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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — a thing
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — an aim
  10. race — a contest
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. object — to protest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rash — a series
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rash — hasty

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