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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. mate — to breed
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mate — a friend
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bound — certain
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — to come down
  21. bound — obliged
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. temple — side of the head

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