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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 · rule · pop · mug · deal · kid · key

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. mug — a cup
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pop — music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — a law
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rule — government
  22. key — in music
  23. mug — a face
  24. key — the most important part

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