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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 124 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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — temperature
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hand — help
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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