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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — an amount
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rule — a law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — to bear
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — a sauce

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