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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. row — a line
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. season — in sport
  24. row — a quarrel

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