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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. degree — from a university
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spell — magic
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. swing — to play on
  22. net — after costs
  23. spell — letters
  24. net — in sport

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