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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis

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