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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. present — the time now
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — temperature
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. roll — a list
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. present — a gift
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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