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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ground — a position
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. nail — for a hammer

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