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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · mug · fine · swing · spring · bound · branch · foot

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — a division
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mug — a cup
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — a coil
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mug — to rob
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. degree — an amount
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. spring — of water
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. swing — music
  24. foot — a measure

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