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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: cue · object · plane · degree · ruler · stem

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. object — an aim
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a signal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cue — for pool
  15. object — a thing
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. degree — an amount

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