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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kid — child
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — temperature
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rule — government
  17. degree — from a university
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rush — hurry
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rock — music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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