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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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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 · stock · bowl · pit · degree · foot · pass · drill

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — army training
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. degree — temperature
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pit — in a race
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — for measuring

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