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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bat — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. swing — music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — a committee
  22. bound — certain
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. degree — an amount

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