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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. present — there
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — the time now
  17. club — a group
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. club — for golf
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. club — for dancing

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