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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: land · can · mug · foot · degree · swing · racket · stem

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mug — to rob
  7. land — a country
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mug — a face
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. swing — in golf

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