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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — an amount
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. dip — to sink
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. degree — from a university
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pound — a weight
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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