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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. degree — temperature
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. club — for golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. key — for a lock
  10. degree — an amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — from a university
  14. key — in music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — the most important part

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