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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: arm · degree · game · craft · roll · calf · stock · season

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. roll — a list
  12. stock — shares
  13. game — a match
  14. craft — boats
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stock — goods
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — from a university
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. degree — an amount
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a skill

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