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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: bay · pitcher · mouse · field · racket · rock · hand · degree

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — from a university
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — help
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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