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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pound — a weight
  3. degree — an amount
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. shower — to wash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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