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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · cue · roll · field · spell · mine · rest · degree

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cue — a hint
  5. field — farmland
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a signal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. spell — a short time
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — a list
  18. spell — letters
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. spell — magic

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