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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. object — a thing
  9. rock — music
  10. object — an aim
  11. degree — temperature
  12. deal — to handle
  13. track — a path
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — to protest
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rock — a stone
  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