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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. rule — a law
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. press — to push
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — boats
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rule — government
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — high quality
  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