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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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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: mug · race · swing · board · bound · cabinet · degree · lean

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lean — thin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mug — a cup
  11. swing — to play on
  12. race — the arms race
  13. swing — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. race — humankind
  22. board — a committee
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to bend

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