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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. scale — size or range
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bass — the fish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bass — low music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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