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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: leaves · degree · sharp · rock · nail · bound · net · swing

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. swing — to play on
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bound — certain
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — temperature
  11. swing — music
  12. net — after costs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. net — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. swing — in golf
  24. degree — an amount

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