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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. degree — temperature
  14. hand — help
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — in cards
  19. board — to get on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pass — to succeed

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