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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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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: rush · firm · pit · present · land · bound · degree · toast

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — to come down
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bound — obliged
  10. present — a gift
  11. firm — steady
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. present — there
  14. degree — an amount
  15. toast — bread
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. land — a country
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — a hole
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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