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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. current — happening now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a dance
  15. current — of water
  16. drill — army training
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. current — electric
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. degree — an amount

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