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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: degree · track · can · spell · stem · scale · ruler · pass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. track — a song
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spell — magic
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — in music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stem — to come from

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