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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — an amount
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — a country
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — temperature
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. land — to come down
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — a stone
  24. drill — a practice

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