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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. game — a match
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — for weighing
  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