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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — an amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. scale — in music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. degree — from a university
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — magic
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a skill

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