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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.

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: ground · rush · suit · rule · degree · spell · squash · drill

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. drill — army training
  21. spell — letters
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spell — a short time

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