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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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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: suit · march · bound · ruler · saw · net · degree · fall

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. suit — to fit
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — the month

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