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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
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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: roll · last · cap · degree · rash · row · mug · pitcher

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. row — a line
  5. roll — a list
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mug — to rob
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mug — a cup
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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