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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bound — certain
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mug — a cup
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. mug — to rob
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. bore — to drill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. arm — part of the body

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