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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · pitcher · bound · stick · degree · mug · rule · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bound — certain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. last — to go on
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — government
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mug — to rob
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mug — a cup
  16. last — finally
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rule — a law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — a box
  22. last — final
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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