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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — help
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pound — a weight

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