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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 116 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: dip · nail · kid · bulb · ground · degree · rock · ruler

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — child
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ground — a position
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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