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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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 — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. object — to protest
  20. ground — a position
  21. cue — a hint
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — of a tree
  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