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

Word bank: kid · pit · bear · ruler · leaves · scale · degree · rock

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — a hole
  4. degree — an amount
  5. kid — to tease
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — temperature
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. pit — in a race
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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