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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: jam · bound · degree · can · roll · race · deal · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — obliged
  7. race — a contest
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bound — certain
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. dip — to sink
  12. degree — temperature
  13. roll — a cake
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. degree — an amount
  17. race — the arms race
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a list
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. race — humankind
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. deal — to handle

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