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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — a song
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — an amount
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. present — a gift
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — there
  17. capital — a city
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — temperature
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a path
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bound — obliged

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