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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: rush · content · ruler · track · rule · bowl · object · degree

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — happy
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — to protest
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a path
  13. content — the amount
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rule — government
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rule — a law

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