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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — the underground
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. degree — temperature
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. squash — the sport
  13. club — a group
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bound — obliged
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — certain
  19. degree — an amount
  20. club — for golf
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — a container
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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