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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: tube · wound · ruler · chair · degree · scale · cap · rock

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tube — a container
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — in a tire

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