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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 120 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: ruler · plane · pop · degree · fork · field · rest · wax

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — an amount
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — a subject
  21. pop — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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