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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. shower — to wash
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — a price
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. degree — an amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — a weight
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — to eat with

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