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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — of a word
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. degree — an amount
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — a country
  13. root — the cause
  14. land — ground
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. last — to go on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — final

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