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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. degree — from a university
  3. field — for sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. field — farmland
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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