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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.

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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: cell · pitcher · wave · racket · arm · degree · staff · fine

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. degree — from a university
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — high quality
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. racket — a loud noise

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