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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the fish
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — temperature
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — from a university
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — in a race
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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