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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: foot · plane · bore · club · ground · degree · cabinet · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to drill
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. degree — from a university
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. club — for dancing
  14. foot — a measure
  15. club — a group
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — a tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — an aircraft

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