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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — in control
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — from a university
  11. charge — a price
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — temperature
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. degree — an amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — a dish

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