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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. swing — music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. root — of a plant
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. degree — temperature

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