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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — a weight
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wound — an injury
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. date — on the calendar

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