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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — a position
  3. degree — temperature
  4. march — music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. branch — a division
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — in music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — crushed
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a bank

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