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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a trace
  15. face — part of the head
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — an amount
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — in a road
  24. calf — a young animal

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