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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: ruler · degree · bass · nail · cap · chair · fan · trunk

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chair — a leader
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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