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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. board — to get on
  7. net — for catching
  8. land — a country
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — to come down
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. degree — temperature
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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