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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: ruler · ground · degree · can · rule · fork · trunk · object

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — an amount
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — to protest
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. object — an aim
  18. ground — a position
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — crushed
  21. object — a thing
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ruler — a monarch

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