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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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468
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: racket · current · toast · tear · pitcher · board · cabinet · degree

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — temperature
  18. current — electric
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — of water
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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