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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — temperature
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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