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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ruler · march · coach · degree · kick · foot

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. march — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — in football
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — a measure
  18. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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