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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: rash · degree · wax · racket · wake · pitcher · club · chip

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — a group
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. degree — temperature
  7. club — for dancing
  8. degree — an amount
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — for golf
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wax — to grow

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