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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pound — a weight
  4. content — the amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. scale — in music
  8. content — happy
  9. rush — hurry
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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