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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — in sport
  4. degree — temperature
  5. object — an aim
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — a thing

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