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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: cap · rash · rush · pound · deal · spell · bowl · degree

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rash — a series
  18. pound — a weight
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spell — magic
  24. rush — a thrill

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