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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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Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — low music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bass — the fish
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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