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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the fish
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mate — a friend

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