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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.

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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: track · squash · degree · calf · bat · present · leaves · pitcher

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — the time now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a song
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — there
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. present — a gift
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — temperature
  24. leaves — lets stay

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