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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. club — for dancing
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cue — for pool
  12. present — there
  13. degree — an amount
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a lid
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. plane — a tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. club — a group

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