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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — in sport
  4. march — music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. march — the month
  16. race — a contest
  17. march — the month
  18. degree — from a university
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pass — a permit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. press — to push
  24. season — of the year

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