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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pass — a permit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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