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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: bound · degree · rush · swing · roll · bark · rock · leaves

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — tied together
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bound — certain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — hurry
  11. roll — a list
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. degree — from a university
  24. roll — on a roll

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