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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: mate · pound · prune · lean · row · mouse · degree · chip

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — for betting
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. row — to paddle
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mate — a partner
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lean — to bend
  24. prune — the fruit

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