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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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468
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a dance
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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