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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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hand — in cards
  4. firm — steady
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — temperature
  7. firm — a company
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — help

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