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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: fine · degree · bore · rock · perch · mug · band · bound

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — to tire
  3. degree — from a university
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to drill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fine — all right
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a music group
  17. degree — temperature
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mug — a face
  24. bound — tied together

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