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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 116 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 · rush · lean · game · chip · degree · key · track

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. key — in music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. key — for a lock
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. degree — an amount
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chip — to eat
  9. degree — temperature
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — thin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — a song
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — the most important part

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