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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: suit · degree · bore · nail · cap · rush · squash · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rush — hurry
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — in cards
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — to keep track

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