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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — to keep track
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — certain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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