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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — temperature
  3. object — to protest
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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