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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 · tube · court · degree · bore · staff · wave · arm

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — for sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of a king
  5. degree — an amount
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — a measure
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. degree — from a university
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tube — a container
  22. court — of law
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — the underground

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