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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 120 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: stem · board · degree · bass · ruler · wound · key · cold

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bass — low music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. key — in music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. board — a committee
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. key — for a lock
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — the fish

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