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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: lash · trunk · field · stock · ruler · rock · band · degree

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — temperature
  10. field — a subject
  11. stock — shares
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a music group
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. band — a ring
  20. stock — goods
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. field — for sport

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