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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. race — humankind
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — a contest
  8. spring — a coil
  9. degree — an amount
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spring — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. degree — from a university
  18. spring — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rock — music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rock — a stone

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