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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: degree · fan · dip · coach · toast · rash · rock · deal

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rash — a series
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. toast — bread
  21. dip — to sink
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. degree — an amount
  24. coach — a trainer

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