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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — to breed
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — high quality
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fine — all right
  18. bound — certain
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mate — a partner
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bound — tied together

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