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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — a match
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — letters
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bass — low music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mate — a partner

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