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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: firm · deal · degree · land · straw · jam · bound · stand

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stand — to bear
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — a company
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. degree — from a university
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bound — obliged
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. bound — certain
  23. degree — an amount
  24. land — to come down

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