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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bore — to tire
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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