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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — of law
  18. degree — temperature
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. court — for sport
  24. bat — the animal

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