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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 · cabinet · net · chair · calf · pass · mark · saw

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chair — a leader
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — for catching
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. net — in sport
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — a grade

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