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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bound — certain
  7. press — a publisher
  8. degree — from a university
  9. content — happy
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bound — obliged
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. kid — child

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