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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — employees
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — from a university
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — a weight
  10. branch — a division
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — a stick
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — rain
  18. can — to be able to
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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