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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
468
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 · shower · stock · bank · patient · perch · ball · degree

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — shares
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — rain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. degree — from a university
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. shower — to wash

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