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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: drill · degree · nail · racket · lash · foot · court · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — army training
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wound — an injury
  20. court — for sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — of law
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. nail — for a hammer

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