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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — goods
  5. degree — an amount
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — temperature
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — shares
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. board — to get on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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