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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rock — a stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a path
  9. degree — from a university
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bound — certain
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — a partner
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bound — tied together
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mate — to breed
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rock — music

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