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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.

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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: season · ruler · mouse · stock · rest · degree · foot · straw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — an amount
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. degree — temperature
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. season — of the year
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rest — a break
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stock — goods
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rest — what's left

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