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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: degree · calf · perch · rash · cap · bat · stand · sharp

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — temperature
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. perch — the fish
  24. degree — from a university

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