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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: mark · wake · chair · game · degree · bound · rash · safe

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bound — certain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — a match
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rash — hasty
  24. degree — temperature

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