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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. degree — an amount
  4. court — of law
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — government
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rule — a law
  24. court — of a king

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