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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cap — of ice
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lean — to bend
  20. net — in sport
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cap — a hat
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. degree — from a university

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