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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. face — part of the head
  14. row — a line
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to confront
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — a monarch

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