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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — for pool
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — in control
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cue — a signal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cue — a hint
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. net — for catching
  19. bank — of a river
  20. net — after costs
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — to wash

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