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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · mouse · degree · wound · coach · mate · rock · spell

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rock — a stone
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. spell — magic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. degree — temperature

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