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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: stick · ruler · rest · coach · last · drill · content · degree

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — final
  5. degree — an amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rest — a break
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — army training
  19. content — happy
  20. degree — from a university
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. drill — the tool
  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