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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 120 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: degree · rush · pass · present · rest · lean · pitcher · bound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bound — certain
  11. present — a gift
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — there
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rest — a break
  23. present — the time now
  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