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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 116 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: ground · craft · bound · game · degree · rule · object · bay

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a skill
  5. object — a thing
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. object — an aim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — a law
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — a match
  16. rule — government
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. degree — an amount
  24. craft — boats

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