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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: mouse · perch · suit · deal · rush · straw · degree · cap

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. suit — in cards
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — of ice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. degree — an amount
  24. deal — an agreement

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