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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a tool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pop — soda
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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