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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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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: band · racket · cap · ruler · degree · bore

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — temperature
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cap — of ice
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — a hat
  11. band — a ring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. band — a music group
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — an amount

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