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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. club — a group
  19. bound — tied together
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pound — a weight
  22. scale — size or range
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bound — obliged

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