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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.

Words on the sheet
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: swing · game · racket · degree · foot · can · bore · cue

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bore — to drill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — for pool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. swing — in golf
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. degree — temperature

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