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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — a signal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cue — for pool
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spell — magic
  24. cue — a hint

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