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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wind — moving air
  17. degree — an amount
  18. date — the fruit
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. date — on the calendar

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