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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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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: net · vault · mouse · degree · club · racket · race · spell

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. degree — temperature
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. net — after costs
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spell — letters
  22. club — a group
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for golf

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