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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. drill — army training
  7. degree — an amount
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — a stick
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — a practice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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