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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: degree · branch · tear · hand · ruler · pitch · safe · cap

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tear — to rip
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hand — in cards
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tear — from crying
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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