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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — wild animals
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bound — certain
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — of law
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — obliged
  18. game — a match
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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