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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ground — a position
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. land — to come down
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fine — high quality
  18. degree — temperature
  19. land — ground
  20. degree — from a university
  21. land — a country
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — certain

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