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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. key — in music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. march — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cap — a hat
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to tire

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