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

Word bank: degree · bound · key · cell · ruler · racket · club · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — a group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cell — a phone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. club — for golf
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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