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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. degree — an amount
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — happening now
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — in music
  15. spell — magic
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — of water
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. spell — letters

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