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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.

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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: rush · suit · net · spell · scale · degree · shower · racket

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. net — in sport
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — temperature
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. scale — size or range
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spell — letters
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. suit — to fit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. net — for catching
  22. shower — to wash
  23. degree — an amount
  24. net — after costs

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