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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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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 · rash · racket · scale · degree · wave · swing · stick

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. swing — to play on
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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