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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: lie · can · degree · ruler · march · tube · kid · pit

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. march — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kid — child
  24. pit — in a race

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