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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — a coil
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fork — in a road
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — of water
  18. degree — from a university
  19. row — a line
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spring — the season
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ruler — a monarch

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