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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: deal · suit · march · straw · spell · can · degree · rush

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. spell — a short time
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. march — the month
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — hurry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — music
  24. rush — to hurry

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