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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: bulb · can · straw · ruler · band · degree · pitcher · foot

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — an amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. band — a music group
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. degree — from a university
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — temperature

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