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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 120 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: ruler · fine · craft · capital · calf · degree · arm · bay

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — from a university
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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