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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: bound · firm · chip · tear · pit · ball · degree · jam

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — to eat
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. firm — steady
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tear — from crying
  22. degree — temperature
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ball — a dance

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