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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: foot · spell · degree · rule · pound · stand · sharp · pit

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spell — letters
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rule — government
  21. pit — in a race
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — part of the body

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