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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: key · bay · arm · press · degree · club · charge · tube

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. charge — in control
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. press — newspapers
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — in music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. club — for dancing
  15. charge — a price
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. key — the most important part
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tube — the underground
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. press — to push
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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