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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. degree — temperature
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — letters
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lean — thin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spell — magic

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