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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. current — electric
  7. scale — in music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — to crush
  15. degree — from a university
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — an amount
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. current — happening now

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