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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — a group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lie — an untruth

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