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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 120 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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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: racket · tube · foot · drill · saw · degree · arm · wake

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. drill — the tool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — a container
  19. foot — a measure
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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