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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · shower · pound · degree · squash · key

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. key — in music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pound — a weight
  5. shower — rain
  6. squash — to crush
  7. key — for a lock
  8. squash — the sport
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — an amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. key — the most important part

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