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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bound — obliged
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — certain
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — in music

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