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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. file — a line of people
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a match
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — from a university
  12. file — a document
  13. degree — an amount
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. degree — temperature
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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