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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bass — the fish
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — to get on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. degree — from a university
  23. board — a committee
  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