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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — to protest
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — an aim
  10. cue — a signal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pop — soda
  19. degree — an amount
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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