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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — an aim
  3. game — a match
  4. pass — a permit
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. game — wild animals
  24. degree — temperature

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