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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · wake · pop · fine · degree · firm · game · bound

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pop — music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — soda
  7. degree — from a university
  8. toast — bread
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — a trail
  19. degree — an amount
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — steady

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