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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — temperature
  3. branch — a division
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bass — low music

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