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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 · row · scale · rush · degree · can · band · staff

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — a series
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — to paddle
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — an amount
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — in music
  23. row — a line
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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