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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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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: ruler · degree · bay · bound · stick · straw · bear · cue

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bound — certain
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cue — a hint
  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