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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: cell · suit · pound · spell · degree · deal

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cell — in biology
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pound — a weight
  8. degree — temperature
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — in cards
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. degree — an amount

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