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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — obliged
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bound — certain
  15. pound — a weight
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. suit — to fit
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — in cards

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