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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. board — to get on
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. mate — to breed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. board — a committee
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bound — obliged

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