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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. firm — steady
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. firm — decided
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — certain
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rush — hurry
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. degree — an amount

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