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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 120 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
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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: calf · pitcher · degree · craft · root · mine · wave · last

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — from a university
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. last — finally
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — the cause
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a plant

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