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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wake — a trail
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. date — the fruit

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