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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — there
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — of water
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. degree — temperature
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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