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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: rock · pop · lash · degree · roll · mate · fork · ruler

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — soda
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pop — music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rock — to move gently

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