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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — in a road
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mate — to breed
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ruler — a monarch

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