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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pound — a weight
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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