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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. degree — from a university
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a hint
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — tied together

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