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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. club — a group
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — a trail
  24. degree — an amount

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