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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: rush · content · safe · rock · prune · ruler · race · degree

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — a contest
  16. degree — an amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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