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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bound — obliged
  4. court — of a king
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — to sink
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — the fish
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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