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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. clip — for paper
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. clip — a video
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — to put up with

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