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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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Word bank
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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: bear · ruler · degree · deal · key · game · present · hide

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. key — in music
  17. present — there
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hide — to keep secret

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