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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — size or range
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — help
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chair — a leader
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. hand — part of the body

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