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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. roll — a cake
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. present — there
  16. roll — a list
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. present — the time now

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