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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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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: mine · firm · sharp · shower · bay · tube · pound · degree

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. degree — temperature
  10. firm — steady
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. firm — decided
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mine — for digging
  20. shower — rain
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bay — a horse colour

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