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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — certain
  3. drill — army training
  4. bound — tied together
  5. degree — from a university
  6. track — a song
  7. sharp — clever
  8. charge — electricity
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a path
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. track — to keep track
  17. charge — in control
  18. drill — the tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — a price
  24. sharp — exactly

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