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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · ruler · can · lean · bass · game · degree · present

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — a match
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — to be able to
  15. present — the time now
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — there
  24. degree — temperature

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