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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · ruler · mate · squash · roll · bark · mine · suit

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. degree — temperature
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bark — to shout
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a partner
  20. roll — a list
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mine — for digging

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