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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: ground · degree · mug · hand · mark · toast · bound · nail

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hand — in cards
  7. degree — from a university
  8. toast — bread
  9. mug — a face
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bound — certain
  19. mug — a cup
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ground — the earth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mug — to rob

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