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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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Word bank
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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cap — of ice
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cap — a lid
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — boats
  24. degree — an amount

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