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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — electric
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. drill — army training
  7. rule — a law
  8. drill — a practice
  9. degree — from a university
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — certain
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — the tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — of a tree

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