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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bound — obliged
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — to be able to
  17. firm — decided
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mug — a cup
  24. firm — steady

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