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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. court — of a king
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chair — a leader
  12. present — there
  13. court — of law
  14. file — a line of people
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. court — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a document
  23. present — a gift
  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