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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. staff — employees
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — to keep track
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — a path
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a round shape

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