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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 120 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 · mouse · kid · bass · patient · cap · bay

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pound — a weight
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bass — low music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kid — child

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