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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · pitch · arm · nail · degree · mug · bound · chair

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — temperature
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — an amount

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