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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — from a university
  11. shower — to wash
  12. degree — an amount
  13. last — final
  14. firm — decided
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fork — in a road
  19. firm — a company
  20. fall — the season
  21. firm — steady
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. last — finally
  24. bowl — to roll

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