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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — decided
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bound — tied together
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bore — to drill
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — a company

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