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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bass — low music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — child

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