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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — a weight
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. degree — an amount
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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