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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: rock · degree · game · pit · ruler · swing · march · lie

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. march — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — music
  12. degree — an amount
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — wild animals
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

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