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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — to visit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — certain
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pop — soda
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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