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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — temperature
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. vault — a safe
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — a path
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — after costs
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. march — the month
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a song
  24. mouse — for a computer

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