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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 116 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: degree · pound · mark · rule · racket · nail

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — a law
  12. degree — temperature
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — government
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — a weight

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