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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. field — a subject
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chest — of your body
  8. band — a music group
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — from a university
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — temperature
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. key — for a lock
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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