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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 · toast · nail · clip · fine · scale · degree · rush

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fine — all right
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. degree — temperature
  9. clip — to cut
  10. scale — size or range
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pound — a weight
  15. degree — from a university
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — in music
  24. clip — a video

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