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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: row · stem · toast · bear · degree · arm · bound · season

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. degree — from a university
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — tied together
  18. degree — temperature
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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