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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · fan · racket · degree · tube · last · board · cap

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cap — a lid
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — finally
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tube — a container
  12. board — to get on
  13. last — to go on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — a hat
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. last — final

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