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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 116 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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — help
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — in cards
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bank — of a river

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