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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: capital · firm · pop · present · mouse · degree · rush · chair

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — a company
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — decided
  17. rush — hurry
  18. firm — steady
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. capital — a city
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. capital — money
  24. pop — soda

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