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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spring — a coil
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. content — happy
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — an amount
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bass — low music
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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