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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — the earth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bound — certain
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cell — in biology
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ground — crushed
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. branch — a division
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. row — to paddle
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — a position
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — a phone

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