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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. prune — to trim
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — a stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bound — tied together
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — obliged
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rock — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ruler — for measuring

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