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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · rule · degree · foot · calf · swing

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. swing — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cap — a lid
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rule — government
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rule — a law

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