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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. degree — an amount
  9. press — newspapers
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — in music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. scale — size or range
  22. deal — to handle
  23. press — to push
  24. toast — bread

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