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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.

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 · fine · wound · ground · temple · swing · stick · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — all right
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. temple — side of the head

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