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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: staff · jam · squash · bound · arm · degree · bear · object

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. squash — the sport
  5. degree — temperature
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. object — an aim
  13. staff — employees
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. object — a thing
  19. bound — certain
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — from a university
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. object — to protest
  24. staff — a stick

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