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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: bulb · calf · rule · coach · ruler · degree

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. 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. calf — of the leg
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. 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