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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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468
Word bank
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mate — a friend
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. safe — out of danger

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