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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. clip — a video
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — an amount
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. object — to protest
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — clever
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rock — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. degree — temperature
  23. object — an aim
  24. clip — for paper

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