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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. degree — from a university
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — a box
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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