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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — a country
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — a trace
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. court — of a king
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rock — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — to pay attention

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