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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: bound · mouse · firm · chest · club · wake · degree · coach

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. club — a group
  3. chest — a box
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. club — for golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — decided
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — an amount
  19. firm — a company
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — certain
  24. chest — of your body

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