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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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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: net · object · leaves · tube · suit · club · content · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. content — the amount
  4. club — for dancing
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. degree — an amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — after costs
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. degree — temperature
  20. tube — the underground
  21. net — in sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — for catching
  24. leaves — of a tree

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