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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: foot · dip · drill · row · bound · degree · pass · squash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — a permit
  3. degree — temperature
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. row — to paddle
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. squash — the sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. drill — a practice
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. degree — from a university
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bound — certain
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bound — tied together

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