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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — a trainer

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