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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: saw · coach · pitcher · hand · degree · ruler · rush · content

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — help
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rush — hurry

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