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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: land · stock · lash · tube · track · ball · degree · ruler

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — a container
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — an amount
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — the underground
  24. track — a song

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