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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.

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: degree · pop · rash · last · toast · ball · wind · ruler

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a dance
  7. toast — bread
  8. last — to go on
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — final
  24. wind — moving air

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