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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. degree — an amount
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. degree — from a university
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. object — a thing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — temperature
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — a young animal

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