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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. scale — in music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — to push
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — size or range
  13. degree — from a university
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — temperature
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — a publisher

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