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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: cap · date · ruler · degree · deal · clip · pound · cabinet

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — a hat
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cap — a lid
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. clip — to cut
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pound — a weight
  24. deal — an agreement

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