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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: swing · rock · root · key · patient · degree · racket · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — for a lock
  7. root — of a word
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rock — music
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. degree — temperature

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