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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · charge · nail · degree · pound · mug · mine · mate

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — a partner
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pound — a weight
  24. degree — an amount

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