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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bat — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bat — in an idiom

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