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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: prune · bat · bound · land · mug · degree · charge · temple

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mug — a cup
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mug — to rob
  7. land — a country
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — in control
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. land — ground
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. land — to come down

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