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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. prune — to trim

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