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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: mug · tear · calf · cue · foot · degree · net · root

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — for catching
  3. mug — a face
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. net — after costs
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — the cause
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a word
  24. net — in sport

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