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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a path
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rash — a series
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. track — a song
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — to bear

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