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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: calf · bound · march · bear · degree · sharp · mark · track

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. march — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — to keep track
  24. sharp — clever

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