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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 · wave · toast · degree · rest · rule · mug · jam

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rule — a law
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — a face
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. degree — an amount
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rule — government

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