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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — for betting
  4. degree — an amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. degree — temperature
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. degree — from a university

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