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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: degree · dip · ruler · land · pit · calf · bass · cue

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. degree — from a university
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — the fish
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — to come down
  24. pit — in a race

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