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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — employees
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a ring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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