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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — clothes
  18. degree — an amount
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. race — humankind
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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