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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. degree — an amount
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cabinet — ministers

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