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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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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: cap · present · game · degree · rash · court · mouse · roll

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cap — a hat
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — hasty
  10. roll — a cake
  11. present — a gift
  12. cap — of ice
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. degree — temperature
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — there
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. roll — a list
  24. game — a match

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