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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — certain
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. band — a music group
  9. spring — of water
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — temperature
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spring — the season
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. swing — to play on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — tied together
  24. squash — the sport

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