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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. swing — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bound — tied together
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — in football
  17. degree — from a university
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. degree — temperature
  24. current — electric

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