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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — a short time
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. object — an aim
  9. bound — tied together
  10. present — a gift
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — an amount
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. object — a thing
  24. deal — a big deal

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