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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · straw · field · club · bowl · ruler · degree · rush

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. degree — from a university
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — a subject
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. field — for sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. club — a group
  12. degree — an amount
  13. club — for dancing
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — goods
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — shares

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