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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pop — to visit
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cue — a hint
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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