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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
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: suit · ball · rash · rush · perch · fine · degree · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — in cards
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ball — a dance
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rash — a series
  21. suit — clothes
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. degree — temperature

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