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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — to grow
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bound — certain
  15. degree — from a university
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. swing — 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