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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. last — finally
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a ring
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — temperature
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. last — final
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. last — to go on
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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