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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fork · land · can · mug · degree · ruler · coach · wave

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — ground
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. land — a country
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mug — a cup
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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