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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
468
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 · bear · net · stick · lash · spell · degree · racket

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. spell — letters
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. net — for catching
  11. spell — magic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — in sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bear — to put up with

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