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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — temperature
  11. present — the time now
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — happening now
  16. dip — to sink
  17. degree — an amount
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. dip — to dunk

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