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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. court — for sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. last — to go on
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — final
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — a break
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — hasty
  18. degree — an amount
  19. court — of a king
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of law
  23. last — finally
  24. rock — 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