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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: game · cell · bound · drill · fine · degree · fan · bowl

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — army training
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. game — wild animals
  20. drill — a practice
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fine — high quality

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