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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: degree · tube · ruler · rest · field · mate · can · racket

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. degree — temperature
  13. field — a subject
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — to be able to

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