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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: degree · rush · bound · dip · squash · cue · cap · rule

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cap — a lid
  4. degree — from a university
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bound — obliged
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bound — tied together

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