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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. degree — from a university
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. band — a music group
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lie — to recline
  17. craft — boats
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pop — to visit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pop — soda
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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