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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — humankind
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. degree — from a university
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — hurry
  19. race — a contest
  20. degree — an amount
  21. drill — army training
  22. court — of a king
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rush — a thrill

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