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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
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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: bound · court · present · rush · degree · wake · bear · sharp

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — an amount
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — of a king
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. sharp — clever
  16. court — for sport
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — hurry
  21. present — there
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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