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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. degree — from a university
  4. firm — steady
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — soda
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — the season
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a dance
  21. club — for dancing
  22. firm — decided
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lie — to recline

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