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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: foot · pitcher · wax · racket · field · board · suit · degree

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wax — to grow
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — for sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — an amount
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — a subject
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — a committee
  23. suit — in cards
  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