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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. band — a music group
  5. charge — a price
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — in music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — for a lock
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. band — a ring
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — in control
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. charge — electricity
  24. scale — size or range

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