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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 124 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. scale — in music
  24. degree — from a university

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