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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: rash · net · degree · rush · toast · lie · capital · tube

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. net — for catching
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — bread
  9. degree — temperature
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. degree — from a university
  12. capital — money
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a city
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — after costs

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