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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. march — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rock — a stone
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a partner
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rock — music
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rest — a break
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — obliged

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