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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · current · land · toast · cap · degree · drill · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — electric
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. drill — army training
  10. cap — a hat
  11. land — to come down
  12. cap — of ice
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. drill — a practice
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. current — of water
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — happening now
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. degree — from a university

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