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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · calf · rule · coach · ruler · degree · wound · land

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rule — a law
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — ground
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — government
  24. land — a country

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