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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — a tin
  18. club — for golf
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chest — a box
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — a group

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