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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: toast · pound · saw · stand · net · ruler · scale · degree

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. toast — bread
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — temperature
  24. net — for catching

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