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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. field — for sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — a subject
  7. squash — to crush
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mug — a face
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mug — a cup
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. degree — an amount
  15. field — farmland
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — a lid

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