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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 · degree · mouse · racket · cue · wind · press · wave

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bound — tied together
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — certain
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. press — to push
  23. cue — a signal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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