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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: degree · charge · stick · suit · bound · club · wave · cue

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bound — certain
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — clothes
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. club — for golf
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bound — obliged
  19. degree — temperature
  20. club — a group
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a signal

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