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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 120 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
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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 · file · drill · racket · game · tube · charge · race

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. tube — a container
  3. race — a contest
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. charge — electricity
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. game — wild animals
  9. file — a document
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — an amount
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — humankind
  15. drill — army training
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a tool
  18. race — the arms race
  19. drill — the tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — in control

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