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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. root — the cause
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chair — a leader
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — with your hand

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