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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: wax · cabinet · trunk · degree · rush · pitch · ruler · jam

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pitch — completely
  24. trunk — of a car

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