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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · cue · bound · drill · degree · wave · suit · press

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — tied together
  14. drill — army training
  15. cue — a signal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bound — certain
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — to fit
  24. press — to push

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