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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. degree — temperature
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — a coil
  16. degree — an amount
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chair — a professorship
  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