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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — a weight
  7. degree — temperature
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — a face
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — low music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bore — to drill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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