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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rest — a break
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — a practice
  11. degree — temperature
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — happening now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bulb — for light

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