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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.

Words on the sheet
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: net · degree · tube · file · bowl · racket · saw · mouse

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tube — a container
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tube — the underground
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. degree — from a university

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