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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 116 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 · rash · pop · bowl · hand · rush · stand · mouse

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rash — hasty
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mouse — for a computer

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