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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: wound · racket · drill · key · fork · calf · foot · degree

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. drill — army training
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. key — for a lock
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — in music
  24. fork — to eat with

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