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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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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: ground · degree · foot · row · club · nail · board · racket

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a committee
  5. degree — temperature
  6. row — to paddle
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ground — crushed
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. degree — an amount
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — a position
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ground — the earth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. board — to get on

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