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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 116 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: saw · file · ruler · rush · suit · nail · capital · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — hurry
  7. capital — a city
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. suit — in cards
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a document
  22. degree — temperature
  23. suit — to fit
  24. nail — on a finger

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