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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. degree — temperature
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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