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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — temperature
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pop — soda
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pop — music

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