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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. file — a document
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — a price
  13. degree — an amount
  14. file — a line of people
  15. degree — from a university
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. charge — in control
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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