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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a song
  6. degree — temperature
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — to rob
  10. degree — from a university
  11. present — there
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mug — a cup
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — a hat
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — a gift

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