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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. track — to keep track
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — a country
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. track — a path
  11. land — ground
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. degree — temperature
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. degree — from a university
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pound — a weight
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a match

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