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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — to fit
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bass — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — low music
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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