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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: degree · rash · bass · drill · can · bound · rush · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. degree — temperature
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — a practice
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — low music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the fish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rash — hasty
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — certain
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — the instrument

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