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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. prune — to trim
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a lid
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cap — a hat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — a strongbox

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