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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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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: present · lie · march · stock · calf · bound · foot · degree

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — shares
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stock — goods
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — there
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. present — the time now
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — from a university

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