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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 124 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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bound — certain
  4. squash — the sport
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — from a university
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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