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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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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: pound · date · bark · mouse · mate · bay · roll · degree

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mate — to breed
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pound — to hit hard

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