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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. charge — a price
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — a thing
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — a group
  14. degree — temperature
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — in control
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cue — a hint
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wake — a trail
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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