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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: mug · squash · cell · mouse · pitch · degree · tube · rash

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cell — in biology
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rash — a series
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mouse — the animal

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