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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: suit · degree · sharp · rush · ruler · foot · cue · last

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. suit — in cards
  6. last — finally
  7. suit — clothes
  8. sharp — clever
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. degree — temperature
  24. sharp — with an edge

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