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

Word bank: temple · present · degree · rest · pop · pound

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. present — there
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — a break
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit

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