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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. degree — temperature
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rock — a stone
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. degree — an amount
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bound — obliged
  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