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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — from a university
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. degree — temperature
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — a hole
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. object — a thing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — an amount
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pit — in a race

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