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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rock — a stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spell — magic
  14. rock — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. spell — a short time
  18. degree — from a university

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