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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.

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: swing · degree · cell · bound · tube · toast · suit · object

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cell — in biology
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — an aim
  8. tube — the underground
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. degree — from a university
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. swing — in golf
  19. toast — bread
  20. suit — in cards
  21. swing — music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — an amount

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