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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — a song
  5. tube — a container
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chip — to eat
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — a path
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mug — a cup

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