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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: ball · perch · mouse · pass · calf · degree · bark · lean

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lean — to rest against

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