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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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