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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stock — goods
  10. squash — the sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — a division
  19. bound — certain
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — a cup
  24. branch — of a tree

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