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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: pound · object · bowl · wake · staff · mug · can · degree

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mug — to rob
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wake — a trail
  13. object — to protest
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. degree — from a university
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — temperature
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mug — a face
  24. 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