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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: ruler · degree · mine · cap · lie · craft · prune · club

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — of ice
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — for golf

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