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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: tube · game · chip · mark · degree · racket · club · bore

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — a group
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — for golf
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. degree — temperature
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tube — a container

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