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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bound — certain
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stock — goods
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — of ice
  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