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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. perch — the fish
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wound — an injury
  23. row — a line
  24. pitcher — a jug

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