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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — thin
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — a gift
  9. degree — temperature
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fine — all right
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — an amount
  20. present — there
  21. key — in music
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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