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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 116 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: spell · calf · net · degree · pass · land

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. net — in sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. spell — letters
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — after costs
  18. land — ground

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