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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. row — to paddle
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cold — an illness
  12. firm — decided
  13. season — of the year
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pound — a weight
  17. row — a line
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. club — for golf
  20. season — in sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. club — for dancing
  23. firm — a company
  24. rush — to hurry

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