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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: mate · stock · jam · snap · degree · deal · bound · club

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — obliged
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mate — a partner
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — a group
  8. mate — to breed
  9. degree — from a university
  10. club — for golf
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — certain
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. club — for dancing
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mate — a friend

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