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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · swing · degree · mate · bound · pit · court · mug

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — for sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — music
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — certain
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — of a king
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — a cup

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