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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — to come down
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — obliged
  12. land — a country
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — certain
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — tied together

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