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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — certain
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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