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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.

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: row · degree · bat · coach · foot · current · straw · ruler

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. degree — from a university
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. degree — temperature
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. current — electric
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — a line

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