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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 120 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: stem · ruler · object · degree · key · cap · saw · court

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — the most important part
  7. object — a thing
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. key — in music
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — of 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