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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. band — a music group
  7. snap — to click
  8. degree — temperature
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitch — completely
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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