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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — child
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. degree — an amount
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — a face
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. degree — temperature
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mug — to rob
  18. object — a thing
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — from a university
  24. plane — an aircraft

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