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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.

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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: degree · wake · ground · cap · file · bass · bore · ruler

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — crushed
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — gave birth

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