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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. can — to be able to
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — a line
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — to paddle
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ruler — for measuring

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