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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 116 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: squash · mouse · degree · track · drill · game · suit · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. drill — army training
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — to crush
  5. drill — a practice
  6. track — a path
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. degree — temperature
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. game — a match
  21. suit — to fit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. degree — from a university

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