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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kid — to tease
  3. band — a music group
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kid — child
  6. band — a ring
  7. land — ground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — for catching
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. land — a country
  21. degree — from a university
  22. net — after costs
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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