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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — from a university
  8. march — the month
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. march — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pop — soda
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. pop — to visit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — the fish
  24. toast — the most admired

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