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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: drill · court · board · wind · racket · fine · wake · degree

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. court — of a king
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a committee
  21. court — of law
  22. wind — moving air
  23. court — for sport
  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