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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. degree — an amount
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cap — of ice
  9. land — ground
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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