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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. degree — from a university
  13. chip — for betting
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pop — soda
  23. degree — temperature
  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