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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lean — thin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. degree — temperature
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — in control
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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