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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — a trail
  9. firm — a company
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — an amount
  12. firm — decided
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — steady
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a match
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — wild animals

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