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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: mug · spring · rash · ground · nail · track · ruler · degree

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — a face
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. track — a song
  8. degree — temperature
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ground — a position
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — an amount
  21. spring — of water
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rash — a series

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