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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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Word bank
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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: calf · ruler · degree · pit · row · field

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a line
  8. field — farmland
  9. degree — an amount
  10. field — for sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a quarrel

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