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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · calf · scale · bound · fine · degree · hand · spring

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — the season
  9. degree — temperature
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bound — certain
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hand — help
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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