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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: suit · content · pitcher · ruler · last · stick · degree · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — in cards
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. degree — from a university
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — temperature
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a document
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — final
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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