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

Word bank: cap · ruler · court · bowl · degree · march · cell · wave

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cap — a lid
  7. degree — an amount
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. degree — temperature
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. march — the month
  24. cap — a hat

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