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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for dancing
  9. press — newspapers
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. club — a group
  12. press — to push
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. press — a publisher
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — hasty

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