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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. key — in music
  9. ground — a position
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — a line
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chair — a leader
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. key — the most important part

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