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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · staff · bulb · mouse · bound · key · degree · arm

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — for light
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bound — obliged
  9. degree — from a university
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — in music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — an amount
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — certain

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