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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: coach · stem · can · mouse · degree · pound · kid · last

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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. kid — child
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — finally
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — to tease
  20. degree — an amount
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — from a university

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