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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: track · mine · fork · tube · wound · ruler · rock · degree

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. track — a song
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fork — in a road
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — a path
  21. rock — music
  22. tube — a container
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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