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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. press — newspapers
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pound — a weight
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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