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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 116 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: band · pit · degree · ground · ruler · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. 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. firm — a company
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a music group
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. ground — crushed
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a ring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. 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