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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — an amount
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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