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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — from a university
  6. land — to come down
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — ground
  15. mark — a grade
  16. suit — to fit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. land — a country
  21. track — a song
  22. chip — for betting
  23. track — a path
  24. degree — temperature

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