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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. present — the time now
  5. degree — an amount
  6. present — a gift
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a song
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. board — a committee
  14. present — there
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. board — to get on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — for catching
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. net — in sport

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