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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — government
  11. degree — from a university
  12. file — a tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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