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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. foot — a measure
  4. degree — an amount
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — to handle
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — a weight
  21. dip — to sink
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — a break
  24. pass — a permit

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