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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: degree · content · straw · stem · roll · can · swing · ruler

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. content — the amount
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. swing — music
  8. roll — a list
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. roll — a cake
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — from a university
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. can — a tin

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