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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — the sport
  7. march — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — from a university
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ground — a position
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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