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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rash — a series
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. degree — temperature
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mug — a cup
  12. squash — the sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — hurry
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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