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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: march · pound · firm · degree · temple · saw · ground · mug

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — a position
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — a company
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — the earth
  18. degree — temperature
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. degree — from a university
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — a cup

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