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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
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: field · net · present · staff · tear · mug · calf · degree

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. field — a subject
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. degree — temperature
  7. net — after costs
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — there
  12. field — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. net — in sport
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tear — to rip
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — farmland

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