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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. club — a group
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — low music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. degree — an amount
  23. content — the amount
  24. bass — the instrument

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