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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. present — there
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. present — a gift
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. degree — an amount
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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