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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — wild animals
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — an amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — a stick

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