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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: bowl · degree · row · mark · mine · pitch · calf · squash

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — completely
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — a grade
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mine — for digging
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. calf — a young animal

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