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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. toast — bread
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. degree — an amount
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. degree — temperature
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. scale — in music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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