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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lean — thin
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — of ice
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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