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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cap — a hat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fine — high quality
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — temperature

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