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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 116 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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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 · bark · straw · lie · ruler · pass · march · pound

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pass — a permit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — an amount
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lie — an untruth

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