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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — of a plant
  11. march — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a word
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. charge — in control
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. toast — bread
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. kick — in football
  24. wind — to turn a key

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