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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: club · rock · stick · mug · ruler · degree

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — a group
  14. rock — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mug — to rob
  17. club — for golf
  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