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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. swing — music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ground — the earth
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ground — crushed
  12. clip — a video
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. clip — for paper
  19. root — of a plant
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. degree — from a university
  22. root — the cause
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. root — of a word

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