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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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Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — to visit
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. degree — an amount
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. suit — in cards
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pop — music
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — soda
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — temperature

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