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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 · toast · ruler · staff · wound · club · roll · racket

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. staff — a stick
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. toast — bread
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — for dancing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. club — a group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — from a university
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — a list
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. club — for golf
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — employees

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