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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: bear · bat · current · degree · bound · ruler · fine · present

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — certain
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. present — there
  20. current — happening now
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — temperature

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