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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
468
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: row · hide · rash · swing · degree · suit · ruler · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — from a university
  3. swing — to play on
  4. net — in sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. degree — temperature
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. swing — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hide — to keep secret

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