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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
468
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 · rock · racket · tube · row · cue · deal · rush

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — a stone
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a line
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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