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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bound — tied together
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bound — certain
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — obliged

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