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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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