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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — for dancing
  3. degree — temperature
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — from a university
  9. club — for golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — of a river

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