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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · pit · row · degree · ruler · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — a line
  9. degree — temperature
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — in a race
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch

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