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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. degree — from a university
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. degree — an amount
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to click
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rash — a series
  24. bank — for money

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