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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. club — a group
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. band — a ring
  16. degree — temperature
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing

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