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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: stock · sharp · degree · branch · tear · ruler · current · mine

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mine — for digging
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — a division
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. current — happening now
  18. tear — to rip
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — shares
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — a soup base

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