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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — a break
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — in control

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