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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — obliged
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fine — all right
  13. lean — thin
  14. bound — certain
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bound — tied together
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. object — an aim
  24. degree — an amount

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