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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. current — happening now
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cap — of ice
  13. squash — to crush
  14. degree — an amount
  15. march — music
  16. current — of water
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. current — electric
  23. squash — the sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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