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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: mug · rash · cue · rush · bulb · squash · pass · degree

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mug — a face
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cue — a signal

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