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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: field · stand · degree · current · ruler · deal · squash · snap

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. squash — to crush
  7. field — a subject
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the sport
  11. degree — from a university
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. current — electric
  15. field — farmland
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. field — for sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. current — happening now
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stand — to bear

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