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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 124 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. court — for sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. degree — temperature
  9. court — of a king
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. court — of law
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — an amount
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — the underground
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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