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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rest — what's left
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. net — after costs
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. degree — temperature

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