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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: pit · mate · present · arm · season · bound · degree · net

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pit — a hole
  5. net — for catching
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. season — in sport
  12. net — in sport
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — after costs
  17. present — a gift
  18. bound — tied together
  19. season — of the year
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — the time now
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — there

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