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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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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — a hat
  4. land — to come down
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. land — ground
  8. cap — of ice
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — a country
  12. drill — army training
  13. foot — a measure
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — a lid
  21. drill — a practice
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pit — a hole

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