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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. row — a line
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — in football
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rock — music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — to move gently

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