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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: degree · foot · chair · net · cap · deal · trunk · club

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. club — for golf
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — for catching
  14. cap — a lid
  15. club — a group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — in sport
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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