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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a hole
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pop — soda
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pop — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pound — a weight
  24. dip — to sink

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