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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wax — to grow
  9. march — the month
  10. bound — tied together
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. march — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. pound — a weight
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rest — a break
  24. key — for a lock

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