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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — in football
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mate — to breed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — to trim

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