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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: cap · degree · arm · calf · mine · key · bass · date

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mine — for digging
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. degree — an amount
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — the fish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. date — on the calendar

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