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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fine — high quality
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. degree — temperature
  24. foot — a measure

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