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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 · pitcher · racket · bowl · plane · rash · wound · bound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — an injury
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rash — hasty
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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