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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. race — humankind
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — a country
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — a contest
  11. bass — the fish
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — to crush
  15. degree — an amount
  16. land — ground
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — the sport
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — a trainer

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