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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: degree · rule · bowl · foot · ruler · straw · mate · object

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rule — government
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. degree — temperature
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. object — an aim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mate — a partner
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. object — a thing
  24. ruler — a monarch

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